Vodafone releases and prices new Windows Phones

HTC Windows Phone 8X, Nokia Lumia 820 now available through Vodafone

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The Nokia Lumia 820, now available through Vodafone.

Vodafone has announced pricing details for two new Windows Phone 8 devices — the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Nokia Lumia 820 — and will begin selling the new phones from today.

The premium HTC Windows Phone 8X device, seen as the strongest competitor to Nokia's flagship Lumia 920, will retail on a range of plans including the hero offer of $0 on the company's $60 plan over 24 months. The plan includes $700 worth of calls, 1GB of data and unlimited SMS messages per month.

The HTC Windows Phone 8X is marketed as a "signature Windows Phone", despite Microsoft partnering with Nokia in early 2011 to produce its Lumia line of products.

<i>PC World Australia's</i> review of the HTC Windows Phone 8X found it to offer excellent performance and one of the most attractive physical designs on the market, but the lack of expandable memory and some odd design ergonomics are negatives.

The HTC Windows Phone 8X, as it appears on the Vodafone Web site.

The full list of Vodafone pricing plans for the HTC Windows Phone 8X are listed below (all over 24 months).

$15 upfront on Vodafone’s $30 Plan, total minimum cost $1080
$10 upfront on Vodafone’s $40 Plan, total minimum cost $1200
$5 upfront on Vodafone’s $50 Plan, total minimum cost $1320
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $60 Plan, total minimum cost $1440
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $80 Plan, total minimum cost $1920
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $100 Plan, total minimum cost $2400

Nokia's smaller Lumia 820, a mid-range smartphone that costs less than the premium Lumia 920, also goes on sale through Vodafone from today. It will retail on a range of plans including the hero offer of $0 upfront on Vodafone's $50 plan, also over 24 months. The plan includes $500 worth of calls, 750MB of data and either unlimited Vodafone to Vodafone calls or unlimited SMS messages per month.

The Lumia 820 has 8-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, a microSD card slot for expandable memory and uses interchangeable backplates.

The Nokia Lumia 820, as it appears on the Vodafone Web site.

The full list of Vodafone pricing plans for the Nokia Lumia 820 are listed below (all over 24 months).

$7 per month on Vodafone’s $30 Plan, total minimum cost $888
$5 per month on Vodafone’s $40 Plan, total minimum cost $1080
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $50 Plan, total minimum cost $1200
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $60 Plan, total minimum cost $1440
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $80 Plan, total minimum cost $1920
$0 upfront on Vodafone’s $100 Plan, total minimum cost $2400

Both the HTC Windows Phone 8X and the Nokia Lumia 820 are 4G capable devices in Australia, but Vodafone currently only operates a 3G network Down Under. The telco is set to launch its 1800MHz 4G network sometime in 2013, but no firm dates have been provided.